VCK’s invite to AIADMK for anti-liquor rally fuels political realignment speculations

Political speculation continues to spread ahead of the VCK’s rally demanding liquor prohibition in Tamil Nadu, even as party president and Chidambaram MP Thol Thirumavalavan said on September 11 that all parties "need to come together" and that there is no "hidden agenda" behind the upcoming rally. This was triggered by the VCK extending an invite to the state’s main Opposition party, the AIADMK, and to actor Vijay’s newly launched Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). Invitations have however not been extended to either the BJP or to the PMK. 

The VCK has planned to hold a rally in Kallakurichi district where a liquor tragedy in June this year claimed at least 65 lives. The rally is scheduled for October 2–MK Gandhi’s birthday–and is to be led by women against both liquor and drug use. 

Thirumavalavan, who addressed a press conference further said, “Liquor shops in Tamil Nadu must be closed in a stage-by-stage manner. The DMK had included this in their 2016 election manifesto. The DMK, AIADMK, Left parties and the VCK all support prohibition. When all the political parties in the state are in support of prohibition, our question is why is there hesitation?”

Presently, the DMK is in power along with the Congress, VCK, CPI, CPI (M) and other smaller regional parties. The parties contested together as the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) in the 2021 Assembly polls. 

Thirumavalavan further said at the press meet that distinctions “should not be drawn” between legal and illegally-brewed alcohol as “all alcohol is bad for health”. 

This is also not the first time the VCK has been openly critical of the DMK regarding liquor sales. In the days following the Kallakurichi tragedy, Thirumavalavan had said, “That the same government that opens liquor shops also gives compensation, is not justifiable.”  

At another press meet on September 11, Thirumavalavan denounced the state’s high income from liquor sales and said that the state government had to plan a staggered approach to finding an alternative source of income. He asked, “When Bihar and Gujarat can bring in total prohibition, why can’t Tamil Nadu? We are proud to say that Tamil Nadu is among the first to speak up for state autonomy, for language rights, against Hindi imposition or NEET. Why can’t Tamil Nadu then, be an example to other states in banning alcohol?”

It is to be noted that alcohol prohibition in Gujarat and Bihar has been widely criticised as failures at both policy and implementation levels as they have not curbed alcohol-related deaths. As recently as 2022, at least 115 alcohol-related deaths were recorded in the two states. Prohibition has also been a proven policy-failure repeatedly in the past with 1920 to 1933 Prohibition-Era USA, serving as a well-documented example. 

In Tamil Nadu, liquor production and sales can be undertaken only by the state government. The Kallakurichi tragedy, and the 22 deaths in Villupuram and Chengalpattu districts in May 2023, were however due to illegally-brewed, methanol-laced alcohol. 

Read: Kallakurichi tragedy: No, prohibition will not end illicit liquor deaths 

At the September 11 press meet Thirumavalavan, responding to questions regarding the invite to AIADMK, said, “Please do not tie this to the 2025 Assembly elections. That is different, that is different. We feel that this is an issue for everyone to come together to raise their voice. Our intentions are pure. There is no hidden agenda.”